Common Wire

I have heard several definitions of "common wire". I have heard some people refer to the common as the hot and others refer to the neutral as being common.
What is the definition of common when used in wiring?

A neutral wire can be "common" to several different circuits in your house and you can run a special circuit called a "multiwire branch circuit" where both halves of the circuit share a neutral but it's not called a "common" wire by anyone I've ever known or worked with.

A common wire usually refers to control circuits such as the low voltage circuits for a lawn irrigation system that run out to each electrically operated valve. In these arrangements, one common wire loops from valve to valve. Each valve also gets its own power wire to turn the valve on and off.

I read this in your link, I am sitting here laughing, it reminds me of something, I used to tell my kids, LOL. I love it. I would tell my kids, to " go pick up your room" they would ask why. I would say, "because you are common." One son, came back to me with a dictionary, and read to me the definition of common. He asked me, " am I an unwashed mass?"

So, a few days went by. I told him, "go pick up your room, ok?" He said, " Why?" I said, " because you are special." An hour later here he comes again with the dictionary, this time I RAN.

Today he is a teacher.

Thank you for the wonderful memory! Cookie

"the common people in those days suffered greatly"; "behavior that branded him as common"; "his square plebeian nose"; "a vulgar and objectionable person"; "the unwashed masses"

I didn't call you arrogant. I am not rude.
I was laughing about my son with That Guy. It was a funny, warm, memory and one of the definitions of " common", unwashed masses. LOL. It is something between my son who at the time, was usually an unwashed mass, LOL, AND 5 years old!
It had nothing to do with you at all.

Mrs. Cookie
Didn't mean to imply that you had but my wife on the other hand does quite often.

It pains my heart to hear of your situation as my wife has been diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis and has a limited time left with us so I do understand just what hope is about.

Due to other health problems she will not be recommended for any type of implant. She is a very strong woman that has taught me more about life than most will ever get to understand, Thank you Lord for my wife.

I hope you the best and please know that you will be in our prayers daily.

Mrs. Cookie
Didn't mean to imply that you had but my wife on the other hand does quite often.

It pains my heart to hear of your situation as my wife has been diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis and has a limited time left with us so I do understand just what hope is about.

Due to other health problems she will not be recommended for any type of implant. She is a very strong woman that has taught me more about life than most will ever get to understand, Thank you Lord for my wife.

I hope you the best and please know that you will be in our prayers daily.

Click to expand...

Well, you did it again! I don't like Mrs. Cookie. I sound like a restaurant.
(Sadly, I am no longer a Mrs, I am a widow.)

I am truly sorry to hear about your wife, I do wish you both the best, and I hope things turn around. Prayer to me is the very strongest power there is on earth. You both will be in my prayers. I know how hard it must be for you, too. It is not easy living with someone who is sick. We get cranky. But, then men are just born cranky.

According to The Natural Handyman, the common wire is the "hot" wire leading to the lamp fixture, or fed from the breaker box, and in modern buildings, is usually black. The other wires are called "travellers," usually white, and once the common wire is identified, and the green "ground" wire attached, the others can be hooked up to whichever connections are left. He strongly advises replacement of the both switches, as both will have suffered from the failure of either, and it's better to be safe, than sorry.

I found the advice on using a multimeter (inexpensive and commonly available) very useful in identifying the common wire. Trip the circuit breaker, remove the switch, widely separate the wires, switch on the circuit, set the multimeter to 110v, then touch one of the probes on the box's ground wire, and the other to each of the remaining wires. Only one of them should register a current, which makes it the "common" wire.

Turn off your breaker again, and install your master switch. Repeat for the slave switch, this time setting your multimeter to "infinite resistance" or "continuity". It will beep when you've found the correct wire.

If you find more than one hot wire, it's probably because one of the switches in the gang box controls an outlet (for table lamps, etc.), while the other outlet is always hot. Refer to the link for a very detailed explanation, and the fix.